Non-volatile memory devices are in use today for storing digital pictures, computer files, digitally recorded music and so on. It is common to find non-volatile memory devices in everyday electronics such as computers, digital cameras, MP3 players, answering machines, cell phones, etc.
Non-volatile memory devices comes in various forms. One example of a non-volatile memory device is a magnetic disk, as can be found in many computer hard drives. Another example is an optical disk such as a CD-R/W. Yet another example is a solid state memory circuit such as an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a specific example of which is a flash memory device. A flash memory device utilizes high voltages to erase a block of memory cells in one operation, allowing these cells to then be reprogrammed with new data. By virtue of their robustness, convenience and low cost, solid state memory devices, particularly flash memory devices, have gained immense popularity in the marketplace and are expected to become even more dominant as the demand for non-volatile memory continues to grow unabated.
Early flash memory devices had a single control signal that would control the input of both commands and addresses to the device. Over the years, improvements have made flash memory devices more versatile, leading to the “Open NAND Flash Interface Specification”, Revision 1.0, Dec. 28, 2006. A flash memory device compliant with the Open NAND Flash Interface Specification, Revision 1.0, uses independent latch enable signals to control the input of, respectively, commands and addresses to the device.
There remains a need, however, for a solid state memory device that allows the system in which it is used to achieve higher storage capacities.